


Don't Forget Why

by Flyre



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, F/M, Family, M/M, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-13
Updated: 2017-08-11
Packaged: 2018-11-13 12:14:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11184906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flyre/pseuds/Flyre
Summary: The last thing he remembered were bright green eyes.Link can't remember what happened before he was in this house in the middle of the desert. Nobody tells him anything and usually he doesn't care, but one day one of his housekeepers shows up bloodied on his doorstep. The sight brings up memories from his past and he won't be kept in the dark any longer.





	1. Chapter 1

Link gazed nonchalantly at the TV screen. He wasn’t really paying attention. The house was relatively quiet and he liked to sit and relax here on the couch. He glanced at the coffee table and flicked a speck of dust off of its smooth surface. He leaned back into the couch and sighed. This was what he did most days. Outside it was hot and humid; the sun glaring upon anyone who dared to leave the shade. The living room was hot too, but Link had gotten used to it. He didn’t quite know where he was. They had told him that he was in California somewhere in the desert. They wouldn’t say anything beyond that. Who were they? Well they were the people who took care of him and brought him food and gave him everything he needed. They never disclosed anything though. Not who they were or why he was here or what he was meant to be doing. If he strayed too far out of the house, they would come running up saying things like: “Now you don’t wanna do that. You’ll die out there in the desert all by yourself.” Sometimes he would get angry, but perhaps it was for the best that he stay here in this house in the middle of nowhere. At least that’s what they told him.

 

Link couldn’t remember exactly what had existed of his life before this. He couldn’t recall anything beyond the sound of the crickets and the feeling of hot dirt beneath his feet when he stood outside. But he didn’t feel frustrated. He felt nothing really. Empty. Like something important was missing that would make him feel like a person again. He had tried to fill this emptiness with a slew of books, movies, TV shows, and gadgets. He would feel a sense of familiarity with certain things, but beyond that, nothing. He enjoyed cleaning the house and tidying up anything they left behind. The people who worked here didn’t seem like they were housekeepers. They seemed like they would be better at other jobs. Perhaps filming, he thought and then shook his head at the ridiculousness of his idea. They were never all there at the same time. Sometimes Chase was there and then he would leave and then Lizzie would be there or John or Ben. It seemed as if they knew him with the way they looked at him. They were very polite and careful. He would hear them speaking in hushed voices sometimes and wonder if they were talking about him.

 

Anyways there was a single thing he did remember though. Someone’s eyes. Nobody in this house had these eyes, including him. He wondered who it could be. This was all he could rely on.

 

He took his glasses off and idly wiped them on his shirt. He heard footsteps entering past the front door. He squinted to see who it was. It was Kevin. “Hey Kevin!” He greeted him with a smile. But Kevin did not greet him back. As Link put his glasses back on and stepped forward, he noticed that Kevin’s dark shirt was tinted with something red. It was blood. It was dripping from a wound in his abdomen. His breath got caught in his throat. He hurriedly walked towards Kevin trying not to look at the wound and gripped him by the shoulder. “What happened to you?” He asked as his glasses started to fog up. Kevin only groaned and fell to the floor. Having glanced at the wound again, Link had started to feel lightheaded. “Help!” He called. Footsteps sounded from the kitchen. “What’s going o-,” said Chase before he gasped and went by Kevin’s side. “Dammit,” he cursed under his breath. “Link, I need you to go upstairs. Now,” he said firmly. But Link couldn’t move. The scene before him had caught his attention and made him remember something. He stared at the blood coming out of Kevin’s body. A tear had started falling down his face and dripped onto the floor. With that, he fainted and crumpled onto the ground.

 

\---

 

He awoke on the couch with a cool compress on his head. He rose up and looked fearfully toward the doorway where Kevin’s body had just been. Now there was nothing. No evidence that anyone had suffered there. Somehow this made him angry. Not a trace left of him. Why had this happened? He heard voices upstairs and quietly got up and tiptoed up the stairs. This time he wouldn’t be left in the dark. The images he saw just an hour prior had stung him in a way that begged him to remember. He couldn’t ignore it and this time, they wouldn’t talk him out of asking them any questions he wanted. The strange thing was that housekeepers had disappeared before, but he had just assumed that it was because they had a gotten a new job with better pay or a nicer establishment. Now he wondered if that was the truth.

 

As he neared the entrance to the upstairs office, he noticed that they were talking about him. There were 4 people inside. “If only we could’ve stopped it.” “It’s too late now.” He could hear a few of them sniffling, probably from crying. “I never fully get used to it you know. The fact that we could get killed at any moment.” “Neither do I.” “I wish Link hadn’t seen that. I’m sure it horrified him. I mean it probably reminded him of that time.” “Look, I’m sure he’ll be fine. But Kevin...he’s dead.” “Oh God.” Link’s fists had started shaking. He was so angry that he couldn’t have done anything. Kevin had been a good friend of his. They had played card games and laughed together. He stepped into the room now, not caring if they saw. His anger fuelled him and he asked, “Why did it happen?” They all gasped and looked at the ground. Jen looked up and said, “We don’t know, Link.” “Bullshit!” He growled. “You damn well know why this happened! You said it yourself that you never get used to the fact that you could be killed at any moment. By what huh?” He gestured wildly. “Why won’t you tell me anything? I can’t take this anymore! I need to know what’s going on! Kevin was my friend too!” They all stared at him as he blinked back tears. He fell to his knees in front of them and ran a hand through his hair. “Who’s doing this?” He asked, “Who killed Kevin?” They exchanged glances with each other and Chase, with darkened eyes, said, “It’s Cole.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is gonna be a wild ride, guys.


	2. Chapter 2

“Who’s Cole?” Link asked nervously. He started to twist the ring on his left hand; a ring that signified his marriage with someone he could not name. “He’s- ,” Chase started but then stopped as if he realized that he was saying something he shouldn’t be. “He’s just someone who has it out for you. For all of us,” he finished. He licked his lips and looked at the others. “But why?” Link asked again. “He’s angry and jealous. It has to do with something that happened in your previous life,” Jen said cautiously, “but you shouldn’t worry about it.” “Not worry about it?” Link stood up now because his chest had begun to tighten with rage. “This has something to do with me right? Well if that’s the case then I  _ have _ to worry about it! People are getting killed because of me!” He couldn’t stand to be in this room anymore. He couldn’t stand to do nothing and let himself feel like a fool anymore. He turned and dashed out of the room ignoring the cries telling him to stop. He turned the corner and flew down the stairs feeling his heart beating harder and faster with each step. He hadn’t felt like this the whole time he had been here. He could feel adrenaline pumping in his veins as footsteps thumped right behind him. He knew that he had to get the truth by himself. If this had to do with his past life then he knew that this was his responsibility. He was done sitting around and waiting for things to get handed to him. He would find the answers on his own. 

 

He knew that they left their car keys in the small cabinet by the door. He ran as fast as he could towards it and snatched up Jen’s car keys. He knew they were Jen’s because they had a tiny dumbbell on them. He flung open the door and tried to make a break towards Jen’s blue truck, but was stopped short as a hand gripped at his shoulder. “Stop, Link,” huffed Chase, out of breath from the sprint. Link pulled his arm back and thrusted his elbow into Chase’s neck. Chase, shocked, let go of Link’s shoulder as he wheezed in pain. Link sprinted to the truck and hopped in, putting the keys in the ignition and hearing the engine fire up. As he stepped on the gas, he rolled his window down and yelled, “Sorry, Chase, but I have to do this and you can’t stop me.” The others were outside now and Jen said, “Wait, Link. If you’re gonna do this, you need to be prepared.” He hit the brakes and turned his head to look at her. She sighed defeatedly and went inside for a few minutes. 

 

Link slowly calmed down and now that his head was clear, he realized that he had no money or any idea of where he was going so this might be for the best. He hadn’t thought his escape plan through that much. He had been guided purely by emotion. The others had helped Chase up and were patting him on the back as he coughed. They weren’t trying to stop him from running away anymore and he could tell that they weren’t the type who were good at combat or high energy sprints. He could tell that he also wasn’t, but he had been spurred on by the rush of adrenaline. Jen came out of the house now with a backpack and walked toward him and said, “Here’s a bag full of supplies you’ll need.” He took the bag and looked inside: there were 5 twenty dollar bills, 4 bottles of water, a compass, a flashlight, a few clothes, 3 cans of soup, a few granola bars, and a toothbrush (which he was glad for). It seemed like she really took the time and cared about him. He smiled at her and said, “Thanks, Jen.” “No problem. And here’s the address I want you to go to,” she handed him a piece of paper with directions on the back. “You’ll meet a man named Eddie there. He’ll help you out, but he won’t be as nice as we are so be prepared.” 

 

She stepped back and he could see that she looked sad and he realized this might be the last time he spoke to them: the housekeepers who had taken care of him for so long. He stepped towards them now with tears in his eyes and said, “Guys, I truly appreciate everything you’ve done for me up ‘til now. You’ve been the best housekeepers- no, the best friends a guy could ask for and I swear that I’ll come back to you when this is all over.” He proceeded to hug each one of them and thank them once again. They also had tears in their eyes. As he pulled away from Chase, whom he had just elbowed in the neck, he said, “Link, don’t forget us.” Link gripped his shoulder firmly, looked Chase in the eyes and said, “I won’t.” And he meant it. He stepped back into the truck and waved goodbye as he headed out onto the wide open road as night began to fall. He waved goodbye to the comfortable life he had lived and to the house that he had called home for so long. That phase of his life was over forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link's broken free and is on his way to discovering the truth now. Who is Eddie and how will he help him in remembering what happened in his past? Where is Rhett?


	3. Chapter 3

In the truck, by himself, out in the middle of the desert with little to distract him, Link thought about what he was doing and why. He idly stared at the passenger seat and remembered something from a long time ago. Someone was sitting next to him and they were driving along an empty road in some small rural town. It was quiet and peaceful and he could remember how calm he felt and the sound of his own laugh over the engine. He glanced over at the source of his laughter and joy, but he could not see the person next to him clearly. It was as if he was looking through the blurry lens of a camera. This person’s features were hazy and Link could not fully identify and recognize any of them. As the person turned to look at him, Link’s vision suddenly cleared on one distinct feature of their face: their eyes. They were sharp and blue - or perhaps they were green - and they glinted with charm and intelligence. It was as if they were peering into his mind, his thoughts, his very being. But their essence was not scary; it did not inspire fear in Link’s psyche. It instead evoked comfort and the feeling of safety and security. He could stare into them forever. Nobody whom he had met already had these eyes and he was glad that there was at least something that could lead him to this person. Something was telling him that it was distressing to be apart from this person at all. He didn’t want to know what had happened that had caused them to be apart for so long. Most of all, he didn’t want to find out that this person was… dead. He shivered at the thought and decided instead to focus on the directions given to him and the road ahead. 

 

\---

 

He had journeyed for maybe 3 hours before he reached his destination: a shabby house with a rust red roof. It was midnight now and night in the desert was especially cold. He stepped out of the truck and wrapped his arms arms around himself. He shuffled quickly to the front door and knocked twice cautiously. He remembered what Jen had said about this man, Eddie, but he couldn’t just sleep in the car until morning because it was cold and he didn’t want to use up all the gas pumping out heat from the AC. He leaned in and listened closely, but heard nothing from behind the door. He peered into the peephole and bumped his glasses against it by accident. He stepped back and sighed and was about to knock again when he heard a booming voice behind him ask, “Who are you?” Link jumped and turned quickly to find a relatively young man with a large beard almost as tall as he was looking at him suspiciously. The man, Eddie’s, eyes widened suddenly and then his eyebrows rested on a glare as he grumbled, “What are  _ you _ doing here?” Link gulped. “You must be Eddie. Um… Jen told me to come find you and-,” he couldn’t finish because Eddie ignored him and started walking towards his front door. “Hold on,” Link said and put a hand on his shoulder. Eddie quickly batted it off, turned and shouted, “Look, I don’t care! I’m not even supposed to be talking to you.” Eddie turned the key in his door and walked in while Link wondered if it was a good idea to walk in with him. Then he decided, “Eddie, I need your help, alright? Jen told me to come find you because you could help me out.” He bounded in behind Eddie as the door shut. Link’s voice hitched, “People are dying because of me! Kevin… he’s gone. All because of me! And the others - they’re in constant danger just by taking care of me and I can’t take it anymore! I need to know the truth. That’s why Jen sent me here. Time has already run out.” Eddie stood still, back turned to him for a while before he slowly turned and let out an exasperated sigh. Link noted how tired he looked; it was as if he hadn’t had a proper night’s sleep in a long time. 

 

“So Kevin’s gone huh? He was a good friend of mine. What a shame,” Eddie said as he looked at the ground, tears welling up in his eyes. “It never gets any easier.” He walked through a doorway into a small room resembling a living room and sat on a worn couch. He beckoned Link to sit beside him and Link obliged. “First, tell me,” he said, “do you remember anything? Anything at all?” Link tried hard to think of a memory besides the house in the desert, but he couldn’t. “All I can remember clearly are these striking bluish-green eyes. I can’t see who they belong to, but I know they’re significant.” Eddie nodded like he knew who he was talking about and said, “Well, since you can’t remember anything yet then I can’t force it. The memories have to come back on their own or they won’t make any sense to you.” Link was disappointed by this. “But, I can tell you about Cole.”

 

“Cole is a man you know personally; he’s someone you’ve known since you were a kid. He’s… been looking for you. For a while now. He wants you dead and the crew— I mean the housekeepers have been protecting you in that house. He’s tried tracking them down in hopes of finding you, but they’re very thorough. But sometimes things go wrong and a housekeeper is killed or injured. It’s good that you’ve come now because I don’t think they would have lasted much longer. Cole grows angrier by the day.” “Why does he want to find me so badly?” Link asked. “It has to do with what happened in your past.” “Can’t you just tell me?” Link was starting to get impatient. “Look, I know a place where you might be able to regain all your memories.” “Where?” “I'm gonna take you there since it’s not exactly on the grid, but we’ll go tomorrow. I’m sure you’re exhausted.” Link hadn’t noticed it until now, but his eyelids were awfully heavy; Eddie’s presence made him feel safe and familiar. “What about that place will make me remember?” Link asked. “Someone important will be there. Someone who refuses to see you. The man with the green eyes you spoke of. The saddest man on Earth.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link's getting closer and closer to the truth, but is he sure that he wants to find out what it is?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I was away for so long. I had my wisdom teeth pulled hahah. I hope you enjoy! :)

Link was laying on the cot that Eddie had made for him in the living room. ‘The saddest man on Earth’, Eddie had called him. Link didn’t know what his past life looked like, but he had guessed that the person with the green eyes was a woman. He had thought this because of the feeling he got when he was around this person in his memories. There was a pull, like a force of gravity, that acted on him when that man was near him. It begged him to stand closer, lean further, look deeper. It was a powerful force. Typically he was attracted to women and didn’t feel this way for men. He wondered why that man wanted to be away from him. Did he do something wrong? Why was he getting such a bad feeling? His heartbeat picked up and his head started spinning. He decided to go to sleep then and deal with this feeling the next morning.

 

\---

 

The desert was cold at night. He felt the aggressive wind push against his exposed limbs and leave them frozen. He sat up out of the dirt as he realized that he was alone out here. There was nothing around him for miles, just empty land. He looked up at the sky and saw that there were no stars but a deep, rich blackness that seemed to drag him in. Something flashed in the corner of his eye. His head turned and he saw a man sitting next to him. There was a glow radiating off of him as he looked at Link and chuckled, “Don’t worry. They’re there, look.” The man pointed at the sky, but Link couldn’t look away. The man’s eyes glowed as he looked at him and Link reached out his hand to touch his. Link hadn’t expected to feel anything but he made contact. The radiance shining off the man was being transferred to him through their touch. The man didn’t pull his hand away and Link felt pure bliss. His face lit up and his frown grew into a smile. The man was smiling back at him and and a bubble of laughter escaped from Link’s lips. His head tilted up towards the sky as he saw millions of stars splayed before him. The night air wasn’t so cold now; his body was filled with warmth. “Link,” the man whispered as the wind gripped at his words, “I’m sorry.” 

 

“About what, Rhett?” His hand was so soft underneath Link’s.

 

“I couldn’t protect you.” He shook his head and looked at the ground.

 

“I’m here aren’t I?” Link gripped his hand a little tighter hoping that this would reassure him.

 

“But-,”

 

“You’ve been protecting me for as long as I can remember, Rhett. You never stopped. You’re doing it right now.” Link’s eyes glistened with adoration for the man before him.

 

Rhett sighed as he looked back at him. He sounded nostalgic, “Don’t forget why, Link.”

 

Link wanted to reply but he could no longer speak. The wind had picked up and seemed to tear the two apart. The man looked back up at the sky as the radiance surrounding them ceased and darkness once again filled the space. 

 

\---

 

Link awoke to sunlight piercing his eyes from the window to his right. He rubbed his eyes and reached to pick up his glasses beside him. As he put them on, last night’s dream burst into his consciousness and left him reeling in pain. His chest ached and his head pulsed. He sat up quickly, putting two fingers on each temple and squeezing his eyes shut tight. Something dripped onto his dark blue t-shirt, causing him to open his eyes in surprise as he noticed that he was crying. His eyebrows furrowed in anguish and he felt hot tears fall for the first time since losing his memories. Every time he closed his eyes, he could almost see that man and  _ feel _ that man. He couldn’t remember why these thoughts would make him feel such sorrow, but he knew it probably had to do with them being apart for so long. And he could remember saying his name. His subconscious remembered his name but he couldn’t. He struggled to recall, but it was just a hair’s breadth too far for him to reach. He ran his hands through his hair and sighed audibly, “Dang it.”


	5. Chapter 5

Eddie looked at Link’s breakdown from the doorway of the room but knew that this is what had to happen for Link’s recovery. He had to get them together as soon as possible. Rhett had told him to keep them apart, but he couldn’t have anticipated the death and sorrow that this would cause. His own brother doing all this. It was too much to even think about. Eddie had felt tired ever since that day. No matter how much sleep he got, it never helped. He had a constant pain in his chest; the type of pain that comes with unspeakable frustration and sadness. It had only been a year and 5 months since that day, but Eddie felt like he had aged 20 years. Seeing Link at his front door had excited him. He had almost fed the idea that things may go back to how they were before. He had wanted Link to remember everything, but he knew it couldn’t be that easy. Not after what had happened. 

 

Link stood up and wiped his eyes of any remaining tears. He walked over to the kitchen where Eddie was standing at the counter making coffee. The smell made him feel better and he said, “Hey, you’re making coffee? It looks really good.” Eddie grinned and said, “Yep, just how you like it. Here.” He handed Link the warm cup of silky rich coffee. As Link sipped it, he was reminded of a simple time and his head cleared a bit. “Thank you, Eddie. I really needed this.” “No problem.” Eddie’s eyes were soft, “Have a seat in the living room and we’ll talk about where we’re going.” Link nodded and remembered that today they were setting off to find the man in his dream. He wondered if he would feel the same amount of joy when he met him in real life. He hoped that he would be glad to see Link as well. Perhaps that was wishful thinking. 

 

He sat in the living room and Eddie walked in with his own steaming cup of coffee. He dropped down on the couch next to him and said, “This is gonna be a tough trip ‘cause this guy really tried to get away from you. He’s up further north working as a delivery driver and living in a small town in the middle of nowhere in a run-down bungalow by himself. I know what the address is since I made it my business to find out. It’s about a 3 hour drive and it can be pretty complicated to get to it, but that’s not the real problem. The tricky part is that he’s overly paranoid. He knows his way around that small town and he keeps his eye on anything and everyone. If he sees me driving around looking for him, especially with you in the passenger seat, he’ll really take flight. And we may never find him again. That’s not the only problem. Cole’s got a couple scouts keeping an eye on him to keep him in check and see what he’s up to. This guy’s aware of them alright so he’s just learned to live with it. That’s another reason why he wants you nowhere near him. Cole wants to find you.” Link had been listening closely while intermittently sipping his coffee and remarked, “Right, I had heard that from the housekeepers earlier.” Eddie nodded, “It’s gonna be tough getting to this guy without him or Cole’s scouts noticing. But I have a plan. 

 

“There are just two scouts there and they’re both positioned at opposite sides of town. They know that Rh-, uh, I mean, let’s just call him R for now. They know that he drives around the same places everyday to deliver goods and packages and what-not. They keep an eye on those areas and throughout the day they change positions accordingly. They kind of make a trail around town while staying on their respective sides to maximize their efficiency and viewing range. However, there’s a small window of space where they’re both outside each other’s view and that’s where we’ll strike. The last stop of R’s day is a store called Greene’s Groceries on the south side of town. The first guy makes his way down from his side of town to meet up with the second guy and get ready for night watch at R’s house. Meanwhile the second guy continues to watch R. There’s a long stretch of tunnel to drive through which blocks the first guy from seeing the second guy. One of my guys is gonna knock out the second guy when he stops by the store with R, buying us enough time to sneak in through the back of the shop. Once R finishes delivering the goods, we’re gonna sneak up behind his truck and jump in and hide. His path after that is straight to his house where we’ll confront him.”

 

“But how are we gonna make it through town all the way to the store without someone noticing us?” Link asked. “I mean they probably know what we look like, right?” 

 

“I’ve got some simple disguises for us. Typical desert wear. A long shawl and a wide brim hat. They don’t know the identity of everyone in town or every person who happens to pass through so they won’t notice a couple guys just walking around, especially since they’ve got their eyes on R most of the time.” Eddie replied. He paused, thinking, then said, “They may notice my truck so I’m gonna leave it parked at a discrete location on the east side of town.”

 

“Eddie, how do you know all this? R’s schedule, the two scouts’ patrol, the layout of the town he’s staying in?” Link looked at Eddie in confusion. “You even know where the blind spots are. Were you involved with R in some way?” 

 

“After R ran away, I was obsessed with finding him and getting him to cooperate with me. I was angry and I abandoned everyone so Cole didn’t really care to watch over me anymore. He knew I wasn’t a threat to him. Cole practically ignored R so he just sent the scouts to watch over him as he disappeared into the desert by himself. I needed to find R so I kept careful watch over Cole’s actions and soon after, he made a trip to the middle of the desert to talk with R. Probably just a brotherly visit,” Eddie sneered. “I followed Cole’s car and I continued to watch over the town when he left. I could easily slip in and out and figure out the scouts’ movements. I discovered that blind spot and I was able to contact R, but he didn’t care about anything. I was so furious with him and I left with the idea that nothing could help him. He’s a shell of a man. You were being kept well protected and hidden during this time with all your memories gone and I just came to accept things as they were.” 

 

Link didn’t know what to think. This whole thing was so messed up. Why couldn’t he just remember what happened? He felt like he was useless. “So who’s your guy?” Link asked.

 

“His name’s Alex. He’ll be here soon. He also knows his way around the town since he was with me pretty much the whole time back then.” Eddie responded. “We’ll leave as soon as he gets here so make sure you’re prepared.”

 

Link nodded but his mind was all over the place. This was gonna be dangerous. Those scouts are trying to find him so if they even see him, the plan’s pretty much done for. There were so many variables that were out of his control and that’s what he hated most. He liked to plan things out and make sure that they went how he wanted. He wasn’t used to this. Was he even ready to meet this person? To face what happened in the past? He knew that there was no more time to think. He had to act. 

 

He was glad that Eddie hadn’t told him R’s name. He wanted to remember for himself.


	6. Chapter 6

Soon after, there was a knock on the door and Eddie went to open it for Alex. Link noticed that Eddie and Alex looked similar and wondered if they were brothers. Alex kept looking at Link as if he were stunned to see him. “We just went over the plan so we can get going now.” Eddie told Alex. “Hey Link, I’m Alex.” He seemed a bit forlorn to have to say those words to him. “We really need the help, thanks Alex.” Link shook his hand and smiled. “Did you remember to tell Link what happens at the end of the day?” Alex looked at Eddie. “I think so, yeah.” Eddie replied. “Alright ‘cause we gotta remember that the first and second guy meet at the end of the day so we’ll have to knock out the first guy too when he comes by the house.” 

 

“Oh right. I forgot to tell him that. That’s a pretty important point. I’ll make sure it gets done.” Eddie said.

 

“Alright good. So Mike and I will be replacing the two guys so no one gets suspicious.” Mike adds. 

 

“Then let’s get going before our time’s up.” 

 

\---

 

They arrived at around 5 pm and the sun was still burning in the cloudless blue sky. Link was already sweating buckets. Eddie and Alex seemed unfazed though. They were walking around and Link just wanted a place to rest in the shade. They decide to enter a thrift shop near Greene’s Groceries. Link walked up and down the aisles pretending that he cared to look through the clothes until their time had come. Eddie looked at his watch and signalled to Link and Alex from across the room. They all left the thrift shop, each buying an article of clothing so as not to arise suspicions. They walked towards Greene’s Groceries and in the distance, a blue truck was approaching with a red car following behind at a wide distance. So R was in that truck huh? Link was getting more and more restless. 

“Alright Link,” Eddie drew Link’s attention away, “go inside the store and just act natural while Alex and I take care of this guy.” 

 

Link nodded in affirmation and said, “You guys be careful okay?” 

 

Eddie clapped Link on the back, reassuring him and Alex said, “Don’t worry. We’ve done this before.” 

 

They split ways and Link entered the store cautiously and walked around making sure to stay to the side to not bring attention to himself. He heard nothing and the minutes ticked by until he turned his head and saw that Eddie had entered the store. He came up to Link and lead him outside the store and around the back where a truck was positioned with its open end facing the store. Their time was almost up so they had to quickly hop into the truck and sit in the back where a few empty boxes would conceal them. They hastily clambered behind them and Eddie gestured to Link, “Shh.” Link obliged and tried to be as still and quiet as possible as they heard the entrance slide shut and someone walk around to the door and plop themselves in the driver’s seat. Link knew he should be careful, but he couldn’t help but risk a glance at the driver. He had a beard and dirty blond hair and Link could barely see his eyes. His skin was tan probably from being in the desert for so long and his arm was muscular on the steering wheel. He was wearing a plain grey shirt that fit him pretty well. His overall aura however was cloudy for his appearance. He seemed to be carrying the world on his shoulders. 

 

They drove for what seemed like a while. Eventually the truck stopped and the man got out and Link and Eddie waited until he was inside the house. Then Eddie got up and said, “Come on.” He waved for Link to follow. Eddie leaned down and pulled the door open and they dropped out of the truck. They went to the back door and Eddie knocked twice swiftly. He didn’t seem to want to take his time at all and instead seemed to be in a hurry. Link wished he would be just a bit slower so he could compose himself. He was so nervous. He heard someone stepping towards the door heavily. The door opened slowly and there he was. “What do you wa-?” He was so tall that Link realized he was looking at his chest. Tilting his head, he finally locked eyes with him. They were the greenish-blue that he remembered. “Link? What are you doing here? And Eddie?” The man glanced briefly at Eddie before placing his stare back on Link again. Link couldn’t help himself; he reached his hand out tentatively and placed it on the side of the man’s face. The man’s eyes softened and welled up with tears. “Link, I- I’ve missed you so much.” He muttered. Link wanted to reply but his head was spinning wildly. Things weren’t adding up and so many emotions were striking him all at once. Random memories popped up in his head: a woman with blond hair, a stream running through the countryside, the sound of a guitar. A random greeting? Good mythical morning. His brain was at its limit and his eyes drooped as he fainted into someone’s strong arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rhett and Link finally meet but will they be able to act like nothing's changed?


	7. Chapter 7

The alarm clock beeped that irritating, droning sound that it did every morning at 6 am. Rhett’s long arm reached out and slammed on the button to make it stop. He rolled lazily out of bed and sat down to do his morning stretches. His neck and back always ached no matter what he did though. The doctor told him at one point that it could be due to stress. Rhett sighed. His mind would always wander to where Link was and how he was doing. He still worried about him so much even after all this time with him gone. He could still see the look on his face when he had left: pure horror and shock. Rhett had later heard that he had lost his memory from the crew who had found him. He had instructed them to watch over him as Rhett wandered off by himself. Link would be better off. The amount of guilt he felt and the anger that he held for himself afterwards was what kept him away. He wasn’t trying to forget; instead he was letting himself be tortured by the memories everyday. He thought that this way, he would get what he deserved. 

 

He finished his stretches and got up to go to the bathroom. He washed his face and brushed his teeth. He couldn’t recognize himself in the mirror anymore. Without Link who was he really? He put on a grey shirt and his black track pants and ate his usual oatmeal breakfast. When he was done, he picked up his keys from the counter and went out to his truck. He knew that he was followed everyday by those two guys that Cole had set up. Cole. He had a bitter taste in his mouth when he thought about him and his chest tightened with rage. How could his own brother do this? The brother that he and Link had hung out with when they were younger. The older brother that he thought would always be there to protect him. Cole had visited him before and Rhett had gotten so close to choking his lights out. He couldn’t believe that he was still searching for Link more than ever and Rhett was so frustrated by his own helplessness. If he got to Link… Well he didn’t know what he would do. He hopped into the driver’s seat and started up the engine. He saw his full day of work ahead of him and decided to focus on that. 

 

\---

 

During his deliveries everything was pretty normal. He liked how the repetitive and almost mindless work let his mind drift to a sluggish pace. This job was so different from his last one where everyday unfurled a new creative challenge and his mind had to work as efficiently as possible to complete the day’s tasks. His life revolved around his work and he never realized how precious every minute he spent there with Link was. Only now that it was all gone did he realize what everything meant to him. Both his and Link’s wives were in North Carolina with the kids, safe at home. Luckily, Cole wanted nothing to do with them. Rhett visited them often because family meant the world to him. Seeing the kids smiling would brighten his day every time he went. But they knew he wasn’t the same. He had stopped asking himself why; he knew why. He shook his head. No, he couldn’t think about his own selfish desires now. Not like this.

 

At his last stop, Greene’s Groceries, Rhett noticed something different. He had a sense for when things were off and he could feel it now. As he went to get back into the truck after the delivery, he almost thought he heard something coming from the back of the truck. What if someone was hiding back there? He batted away the thought. Nobody cared enough to do that. Instead he pretended that it was a box that he had placed too clumsily and had fallen due to the truck’s movement. He drove home and parked his truck behind his house as usual. His mind continued to wander in its paranoid way as he dropped out of the truck. What if Cole sent someone to take him out for good? What if they’ve finally found Link and Rhett’s of no use anymore? He unlocked the door and stepped into his house. Less than a minute later he heard a knock on the door. He went to open the door expecting the worst and started the question, “What do you wa-?” But his question was cut off by the man before him. Link. Here. Did he come because he remembers everything? 

 

“Link? What are you doing here? And Eddie?” Eddie was here too; probably showed him the way to Rhett. Link looked a bit dazed to see Rhett. Those ocean blue eyes… He never thought he would see them again. He hadn’t changed a bit! He was still so beautiful. Rhett was surprised to find Link reaching his hand out to him which he greeted happily. Link was back. He was here with him again. His stone cold heart melted and flowed into his eyes as they filled up with tears. “Link, I- I’ve missed you so much.” He muttered. They would figure this out together now that he was here. All would be well. Link didn’t respond and Rhett just assumed that he was enjoying the moment as much as he was. That wasn’t the case though as Link fainted into his arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rhett's POV because I wanted to show how he feels through all this.


End file.
